● BlackRock expects to inject $10 million in seed funding for spot Bitcoin ETF
According to Planet Daily, Bloomberg analyst Eric Balchunas said on the The $100,000 is much higher. Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart believes that the injection of seed capital does not mean the immediate launch of the ETF, but it may mean that it will be launched soon.
● BlackRock chooses to appoint a lead execution agent to handle bitcoin purchases and sales for ETF
According to Golden Finance, documents disclosed by Bitcoin News show that BlackRock has chosen to appoint a principal execution agent (PEA) to handle the purchase and sale of Bitcoin for its upcoming ETF. Bloomberg analyst James Seyffart said that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may not accept the principal execution agent's purchase of Bitcoin in cash mode.
● Analyst’s view: Can BlackRock use insider information to “jump the gun” before the Bitcoin spot ETF is listed?
With the Bitcoin (BTC) spot ETF seemingly only a few weeks away, some crypto investors are wondering whether asset managers like BlackRock could use insider information to "jump the gun" before their highly anticipated fund goes public. Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart clarified what BlackRock can and cannot do with the Bitcoin market before approval, and how they will handle customer claims, at an X-Space event on Friday.
According to Seyffart, ETF applicants will only start buying BTC a few days before their fund actually launches. This is to pre-fund the ETF so that it can sell shares to investors after the launch.
“They are not buying Bitcoin on their balance sheet to maintain exposure,” Seyffart said. He also clarified that BlackRock can still invest in BTC through other private products, such as their private Bitcoin Trust, and that clients are buying BTC, especially before the ETF is approved.
● Hashdex submits revised Bitcoin spot ETF application to SEC, confirms custodian
According to BlockBeats, Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart said on social media that Hashdex has submitted its revised Bitcoin spot ETF application (S-1) to the SEC. In this update, Hashdex confirmed that BitGo will become the custodian of its spot ETF assets.
● SEC requires spot ETF issuers to submit revised application documents
According to PANews, Fox Business reporter Eleanor Terrett tweeted that people familiar with the matter revealed that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has asked spot ETF issuers to submit revised application documents by the end of next week, which will include updates from yesterday's conference call.
● Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission is ready to accept applications for authorization of virtual asset spot ETFs
According to the Daily Planet, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said that the two agencies have reviewed the current policies for intermediaries who wish to engage in virtual asset-related activities. In addition to the existing virtual asset futures ETFs, the SFC said it is "ready to accept authorization applications for other funds involved in virtual assets, including virtual asset spot exchange-traded funds (VA spot ETFs).
In a separate notice, the SFC set out requirements for funds to “invest directly in the same spot VA tokens that are available to the Hong Kong public for trading on the Virtual Asset Trading Platform (VATP) licensed by the SFC.
● Bitcoin and Ethereum options markets show mixed signals, with puts dominating
As Bitcoin prices remain around $44,000, the options market is showing mixed signals, CryptoPotato reported. According to Greeks.Live, an options data tracking website, put option purchases dominated the bulk transactions of Bitcoin and Ethereum, with a total value of $100 million. Among them, Bitcoin put options accounted for $13 million and Ethereum accounted for $88 million.
● El Salvador passes immigration bill: Donating Bitcoin to government projects can gain citizenship
According to TechFlow, the El Salvador Congress passed an immigration bill on December 21, allowing foreigners who "donate" Bitcoin to government social and economic development projects to obtain fast citizenship. The bill is expected to take effect in the next few days. The bill does not specify a minimum "donation" requirement. Earlier news, El Salvador launched a free visa program, and citizens can be obtained by investing $1 million in BTC or USDT.
